Ron's Stand
by Meriwether Weslar
Summary: Ron Weasley, who used to just be a freckled, red haired wizard, had now changed forever. He always knew that he needed to be the person that would change the life of his family. For the good of him, and for the whole wizarding world.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I OWN RON WEASLEY!!!! lawyers tackle her struggles out of heap FINE! brushes herself off

Ron was not having a good summer break. Except, Harry had been allowed to stay at the Burrow, and Hermione was writing letters constantly. But even the thought of his two best friends at Hogwarts couldn't take a way something that had been on his mind ever since Harry had told him and Hermione about the prophecy. He knew he needed to take up his father's job, he knew he needed to become the leader that he was fated to be since birth.

"Ron?" Harry looked questionably at him. It has been Ron's turn at wizard chess for ages. "Are you alright?" Something had to be wrong, Harry was winning.

Ron looked up trying to act normal. "Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm still wondering what to write for my 'What I did over the Summer' paper." He said while laughing faintly. What could he write for his paper? He'd been attacked by a death eater? Maybe, just maybe, one paper could explain it all. But would one paper be able to describe all the horror? "Harry, I'll be right back." He quickly thought up an excuse. "I have to get something from my room."

Running up the steps, he looked over at Percy's vacant room. Why'd he do it? Ron had enough on his mind, Percy was giving so many difficulties to his family. They had enough on their plates without him becoming a death eater. "Idiot." Ron muttered as he closed his bedroom door.

He flopped down on his bed and began to recall the day that everything went wrong. It didn't take him long, he remembered it all as if it were yesterday.

FLASHBACK

When Tonks, Mad Eye, and Lupin showed up at the Burrow, he knew that something was wrong. Even the weather seemed to herald doom. Everyone was apprehensive, the Order of the Phoenix's few members wer keeping something from all the kids. What was it? Just as tonks started to talk, a knock came from the front door. Ron got up to answer it.

The storm was getting worse. Lightning flashed outside as Ron went to open the door. As he opened it, there was an enormous crash of thunder as the door opened, almost as if a sign. Two figures were in the hall now. One slipped off his cloak, the other stayed hidden.

It was none other than Lucious Malfoy. All the words he said, the insults, the commands, everything that he said, Ron tried to ignore him. At last he could stand it no longer. He screamed and tired to pin Lucious to the ground. He failed, instead being thrown to the ground himself. Lucious smiled, he thought that he could just kill Ron and get to Harry himself. But he contemplated being a hero a moment too long.

Lucious found himself against the wall in an instant. He got hit twice, once on each side of his face. The force of the two curses was so hard taht blood was streaming freely down his face. Lucious looked up at his attackers. One person still stood in the doorway, with his cloak on, the other in the shadows of the next room. He looked from one to the other awestruck.

"No! It can't be! How dare you! How could you?" Ron stood up still a bit dazed. Thoughts swarmed in his head so fast he felt dizzy. Was this a trap? What was this all about? Who was the cloaked stranger? What is the secret that the Order of the Phoenix is holding onto?

Mr. Weasley walked out of the shadows. The cloaked stranger took off his hood, yet it was still too dark to see who it was, or Ron couldn't see clearly. Before anyone knwe what happened, Mr. Malfoy jumped up and screamed "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Every second seemed as long as an hour. Everything was happening in slow motion. Ron watches as an emerald green light speeded tword him. He kept thinking _why me?_ And _This is it._ At the last second, a body lunged forward to take the curse for him.

Review Please!!! I have more written already, but I want to see what you'll do with the cliffhanger and the like! Hope you liked it!


	2. The Fight Ends with Victory and Defeat

Sorry I took so long to type this out! I've been pretty busy with schoolwork. Without further ado, Ron's Stand, Chapter Two. Please don't kill me for who I killed off. Now I feel like JKR when she killed off Sirius! sob

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its glorious storyline. sigh

Ron tried to keep the tears from coming, but they came freely down his face. Before he even thought, he reached for the body's broken wand that had snapped just after he fell. He yelled, hoping that the wand would work one final time. He screamed so loud that he almost drowned out the storm around him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Another body fell to the ground, dead. Ron had finally killed Lucius Malfoy.

Ron fell to the floor, un conscience. Lupin ran over followed closely by Tonks, Made eye, and all of the Weasleys, including Mrs. Weasley. They pushed Mr. Weasley's dead body off of Ron so he could breathe. "Ron!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. He woke with a start, glancing from his father's dead body to his family, and his eyes finally resting on his mum's he said, "Mum, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to do it."

Mrs. Weasley looked Ron back in the eyes, "Ron, You do not need to be sorry, It's his fault," she nodded to Lucius's dead body. "He had been making our lives miserable, but you changed it." She began sobbing out of relief and pure sadness. Ron slumped into Lupin's lap, un conscience again.

The Order of the Phoenix looked on in wonder, Ron proved himself as a leader.


	3. Malfoy's Real Story

SORRY SORRY SORRY!!! I say as I slap myself on the hand. I have been so busy!

Sit back, relax, and enjoy, the long awaited third chapter of Ron's Last Stand!

Ron came to and quickly got out of Lupin's lap. "Bloody hell, did I just do that?" He looked pale with guilt, looking over at Lucious Malfoy's body.

Draco came back into the hall and gasped. "You killed my father." He looked over at Ron, tears were in his eyes. "Thank you." Everyone gazed at Draco in wonder. "This will seem shocking to you, seeing as how much of an idiot I was the last few years. He was the one that made me do it, and I did it so much, that it became a part of me. For that I am very sorry. To everyone I have hurt." He started to turn toward the door. "Goodbye Weasley family, condolences to your father, I must go somewhere, somewhere I cannot be found."

Mrs. Weasley walked in front of him and shut the door before he could go out. Lightning flashed again. "Draco, listen, I think," she began slowly. "I think that you should stay with us. Don't go back to your manor, or else your bad side will come forth again." She gave him a big hug.

He looked around the room, "I think that no one will want me in this house, because of what I have done to them all. Trust me, I should leave now."

Everyone pitied him no one was about to let him go back. They all smiled at him, as if saying, stay here, we will protect you. And he did.

Sorry it's short! But I want to do some work on my other fics. Did you like it?


	4. A Small Glimmer of Hope

Ron was now pacing in his room. He was trying to clear his head, but his mind was set on it, he was about to go into something that might end with him dying. The thought frightened him, but he needed to come to terms with it. This was something secret, he wasn't going to tell anyone, not even Harry.

There was a knock outside his door, he looked up from his bed to his closed door. "Who is it?" He managed to choke out.

"It's me, Hermione." She said, stumbling over her words. "Can I, can I come in?"

Ron got up and walked over to the door, his orange room felt loud and ugly. It felt as if he didn't feel like he even belonged in this house anymore. His hand went out to the door knob and he turned it, the door opened slowly.

Hermione stepped into his room and he closed the door after her. She looked like she'd been sick, her hair was unkept and she looked pale. "Oh Ron. When I heard what happened, I came right here. I'm sorry it took so long." She embraced him, and they stood there, not moving, each feeling protected under each other's presence.

"Hermione, I need to tell you something." Ron whispered, trying to keep the tears from flowing down his cheeks. He let go of Hermione and sat down on his bed. "Ever since my dad died, I've been thinking about something. I haven't even told Harry what I've been feeling. I think that I might be more involved in this fight against You Know Who then I ever thought I was. I mean, I might sacrifice myself to save you and Harry. It just feels like I got a warning from when my dad died and I killed Lucius." He couldn't continue, the tears were now coming freely down his face.

Hermione, took his hand in his, clutching it hard. "Whatever happens Ron, you know I'll always stand by your side. Always." She hoped that it would always be so.

Ron laid his head on Hermione's shoulder. She had given him hope, something that he had not had in a while.


	5. A Wedding to Think About

Ron sat with Hermione and started to think, for all that he wanted, none of it was about to happen. "Since it's happened," He mumbled, Hermione straightened up more and looked to him. "I've been..." He stopped, his tears started to run down his face, but he didn't notice. "Since my dad died, I've been thinking that I'll never be happy again, and it scares me. I am so used to being the joker but now I feel like I can't be. Right now, I just want to feel better, but I keep thinking I can't. It's just so hard.

Hermione gazed at Ron, "don't worry Ron, me and Harry will always be there for you, no matter what happens, we don't care how you act right now, I mean you've just been through a trauma. No one feels better a week after something like this happens, so relax, and just know, I am there for you, no matter what Ron." She took his hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze. "I don't know what's ahead, but one thing I do know, is that my friend Ron is going to cheer up and will be able to cheer me up to." Smiling weakly at him, she started to get up.

"I'll be downstairs in Ginny's room if you want to talk to me." Hermione gave him a hug and walked slowly down the steps. Ron watched her leave and was left with something that felt like a little piece of the sun's glowing radiance inside of him. For the first time in a few weeks, Ron smiled.

As the next couple of weeks went by, Ron was beginning to be himself again, gone were the worries of never being happy again, and he was almost enjoying his summer break with his two best friends. He was excited about returning to Hogwarts, Harry had been persuaded by Hermione to stay for his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, she told him that they'd never find a better place to find information than in the Hogwarts' library.

The death of Dumbledore was still shocking to think about, no one would have guessed that Snape was going to kill him, yet he did. And it was pretty difficult trying to visualize a new year without Dumbledore's speeches and appearances at Quidditch games. Yet of course, life went on and Professor McGonnagall instantly became the headmistress of Hogwarts.

It seemed as though the summer was crawling along, this was the only summer when Ron wished he were back at school, anything he thought was better than sitting at home feeling lousy about himself.

The only good thing that was going on was that the wedding for Fleur and Bill was still to be set towards the end of summer, two days before the Hogwarts Express came to Platform 9 and 3/4's. At least Ron was so busy with wedding invitations and plans, he was too wrapped up to feel sorry for himself, a lot less than he'd been doing before anyway.

Tonk's clumsiness had gotten worse within the last few weeks. "All on account of stress, don't you worry about it love, just relax, and take it easy." Mrs. Weasley said calmly, as she picked up a handful of letters and placed them back on the table, moving them farther away from the edge. "Why don't you sit down for a while and me and Ron can work on them together.

Tonks nodded gladly to Mrs. Weasley. "Wotcher Ron!" She said in greeting, to him as he sat down at the kitchen table and smiled back at Tonks.

----

yay! I updated! Finally! Review, I know that it's a short chapter, but I'm tired.


	6. I love you for that

Ron sat in one of the livingroom chairs, he noticed that he had started to sit in his dad's chair ever since he'd died. Tears fell silently down his face. He felt so distraught, all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and weep for all that had happened.

Hermione walked in, so quietly that Ron didn't hear her. She saw her best friend in the world, the one who had always mad her laugh, now he was a shadow of himself. It made her feel sick, she felt so horrible, he looked as if he were a lost toddler that had no clue of what to do next.

She knew that no one really liked to suffer alone, as much as some resisted. She curled up next to Ron, just sitting there with him. Then, what surprised her the most, he grabbed her in a hug, clinging to her as if she were his lifesaving raft, a glimmer of hope, in a terribly stormy sea, and Ron never wanted that hope to go away.

He knew that he'd been changed, but now he realized that it was a change for the better. "Thank you, Hermione." He said, and soon after he stopped crying, but still holding tight on to her.

Hermione stretched out her arms and returned the hug. Ron smiled faintly, she was prepared to go with him, however far it was that they needed to go, her hug showed him that. This light at the end of the maze full of death and despair. He hugged her again, "If it wasn't for you," He whispered. "I don't know what I would have done. This is the only time I've felt comfortable, only when I talked to you, you are so wonderful and I love you for that. You always know what to say and it comes in very useful, some times at least." Another ghost of a smile flickered on his face.

Hermione looked down, her bushy brown hair hid the fact that she was blushing. "Don't worry." She said, looking back up, and grabbing one of Ron's hands, squeezing it gently. "I'm going to get you through this." She wanted to say more but didn't dare to, she loved Ron more than just as a friend and now she knew the feeling was mutual.

Now she was at a loss for words, which for Hermione, was definitely saying something. Not knowing whether to leave or stay with him, she looked into his eyes. They were red from all the crying, yet she noticed something new in them. A sense of defiance, he knew that he and Hermione were going to stick through it until the end, and he also knew that he had a part to play in something, and he was now ready to go through with it.

With me by his side, it's the way it will always be, and I'm glad of it, she thought as Ron stood up slowly and walked slowly out of the room.


End file.
